The Republican Party of Australia was a minor
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n political party dedicated to ending the country's links with the
United Kingdom and establishing
a republic. It was formed in 1982 and registered by the
Australian Electoral Commission on several occasions prior to being voluntarily deregistered in 2021. It was not linked with the
Australian Republic Movement.
History
Australian Republican Party (1956–1970s)
The Australian Republican Party was formed in 1956 in response to the playing of "
God Save the Queen" at the
1956 Melbourne Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
. It was based in Melbourne, but by 1970 had branches in New South Wales and Queensland. It suffered from "low membership, internal division and a range of policies which were, to say the least, odd". In 1964, the party proposed a massive expansion of the welfare state funded by the deregulation of gambling. It was also in favour of the Vietnam War, U.S. bases on Australian soil, conscription, and quotas for Asian immigration.
The
1973 New South Wales state election
Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 17 November 1973. The result was a win for the Liberal- Country Party coalition under Sir Robert Askin, which had been in ...
was the first time that the Republican Party contested an election outside Victoria. In 1974, the party elected Doreen Storry as its leader. It was reported that she was the first woman to lead an Australian political party. As well as supporting republicanism, the party was said to oppose "any form of socialism, foreign equity or monopolistic practices in Australia".
Republican Party of Australia (1982–2021)
The current Republican Party of Australia was founded in Sydney in 1982 by Peter Consandine. By the 1990s, the party's platform called for the reform of the Australian court system and for the reintroduction of
one-cent and
two-cent coins. The Republican Party of Australia was first registered for federal elections by the
Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in 1992.
It contested the
2004 federal election, but was not registered at the time of the
2007 election, although some of its members stood as
independent candidates.
The party was re-registered on 9 July 2013, but was deregistered on 15 February 2016 after failing to demonstrate the required number of members. The party's registered officer appealed that decision on 2 March 2016, but it was affirmed by the Electoral Commission on 24 August 2016. The party applied for federal registration again in 2017, and the party was approved on 31 July of that year. The party was voluntary deregistered on the 20 July 2021.
See also
*
Republicanism in Australia
References
External links
*
Defunct political parties in Australia
Republican parties in Australia
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